South Carolina Game Balls: Ole Miss

Jake Bentley

Bentley was nearly perfect Saturday, with easily the best game of his rocky season. Bentley threw for 270 yards in the first half, already his highest passing total this year. He finished with 363 yards and two touchdowns. Bentley was efficient as well, which hasn't always been the case even in his better games. He completed 22-32 passes, and that is with the drop by Shi Smith that had all the appearances of a 91-yard touchdown strike. Bentley also scored the game-winning touchdown on a six-yard scramble.

Also see: What Will Muschamp said after the big win

Mon Denson

Injuries hit the running back position hard Saturday. Rico Dowdle left after just one carry, and Ty'Son Williams had to be helped off the field a few times before finally heading to the locker room for good (but not before racking up 100 yards receiving). That left Denson and A.J. Turner, who have both missed several games due to injuries, as the only backs. Both made the opportunity count, but Denson stole the show. His 69-yard fourth quarter run set up Bentley's game-winning score. Denson finished with 102 yards on 12 carries, a carry-high rushing total. In fact, he surpassed his previous career high of 61 yards on that big run alone.

T.J. Brunson

After a slow start to the season, Brunson is back to being a tackling machine (although he's t an assist from poor defensive line play). He had 14 tackles against Tennessee and topped that Saturday with 15. Brunson also did damage behind the line of scrimmage with 3.5 tackles for loss, a career-high, and 1.5 sacks. That half sack he shared with Rick Sandidge was one of the most important plays of the game, as Ole Miss quarterback Jordan Ta'amu was shaken up on the hit and missed the next series. Ta'amu returned later, but didn't look like the same player.

Also see: Josh Low's instant analysis

Jaycee Horn

Horn had five tackles and two pass break ups. One of the pass break ups came in the end zone, and Horn was also in coverage on Floyd Allen on the incomplete pass on fourth down that ended Ole Miss last drive. Still a freshman, Horn already has opposing quarterbacks looking away from his man.

Rashad Fenton

Give Fenton half a game ball. Matched up with A.J. Brown, Fenton was torched in the first half. Ta'amu and Brown hooked up five times for 94 yards plus a pass interference penalty, and were picking on Fenton. But Fenton regrouped in the second half. Brown had a 21-yard catch on the first possession of the third quarter, and then nothing. Fenton had Brown blanketed on Ole Miss' final drive, nearly intercepting a pass on the Rebels' next-to-last play of the game.

Deebo Samuel

Don't kick to Deebo! Ole Miss did it five times. He took the first on to the house. The fifth one, coming right after Ole Miss had taken a ten-point lead, was almost as important: a 38-yard return to the Ole Miss 47 that brought life to South Carolina.